Automatic tool.



P: A. CRESSEYKL W. JONES.

AUTOMATIC TOOL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14. 1915.

1,191,873. Patented Ju1y 18,1916.

I n pew-Z0715, ,Pe fierfim 66' Crease w y W i: snares raranr curiosPETER AMES CRESSEY, OF MOSS BEACH, AND WILLKAM JONES, OF Lbs ANGELES,

' CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC TOOL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June '14, 1915. Serial m. 33,904.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, PETER Anus Cans- SEY and WILLIAM Jones, bothcitizens of the United States, residing at Moss Beach and Los Angeles,respectively, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Tools, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Our invention relates to an automatic tool and more specifically to anautomatic ratchet tool for tightening or loosening screws, bolts,

nuts and like securing means,and an object thereof is to provide a toolby means of which a movable structure on which screws or boltsare'secured may be maintained in a nearly stationary or braced positionwhile removing or replacing the same.

In over-head street car constructions the feed or transmission wires aresecured to hanger clamps, which are in turn secured to the cross wires.These clamps are usually made in two parts, the same being securedtogether by means of countersunk screws. At times it becomes necessaryto remove the clamps to replace sections of the feed wire which havebeen worn or broken. In removing the hanger clamps the repairman oftenexperiences difliculty in removing the countersunk screws with anordinary driver, as the screws become corroded, and for the furtherreason that the feed wire is nor mally movable requiring the workman tobrace the hanger with one of his hands while operating the driver withthe other.

By means of our improved tool, all the above recited difliculties'areobviated, and the screws securing the hanger parts are removedexpeditiously and with little or no trouble.

We accomplish the above objects by means of the device described hereinand illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: I

Figure 1 is a side elevation of our improved toolshowing it in positionfor operation in removing screws from hanger clamps. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of our improved tool, the position being similar to that shownin Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail elevation of the ratchet mechanism foroperating the tool, the inclosing plate being removed. Fig. 4 is aperspective view of the detachable tool.

I Referring more particularly to the drawmg, our improved tool ispreferably of a tong shape configuration and consists of two. members 5and 6, pivoted as at 7 to form jaws 8 and 9 and handles 10 and 11. J aw9 is bent outwardly as clearly shown 1n Fig. 1 of the drawing, so as toprovide sufficient room between the two jaws 8 and 9 for the detachabletool 12, which tool may be a screw driver, socket wrench or like tool.Pivotally mounted on the outer face and at the upper end of jaw member9. as at 12, is'

a ratchet casing l-it in which the ratchet mechanism is mounted, thewhole being inclosed by'a plate 15 in any suitable manner.

Inclosing plate 15 is provided in the upper end thereof with anelongated transversely disposed slot 16, in which a ratchet wheel 17 ismounted. This wheel is provided with V-shaped teethso that its direct1on of rotation'may be reversed when the pivotally mounted ratchet casingis shifted from one side to the other; the ends of the slot limiting theshifting movement of the casing. Ratchet wheel 17 is preferably providedwith a centrally disposed rectangular aperture in which the end of thework tool is mounted.

Wheel 17 is also provided with an annular shoulder 18, the outer endthereof being enlarged and'knurled so that when the screw or othersecuring means has been loosened, the tool may be rotated manually.

Pivotally mounted in hearings in the lower I end of casing 14, theirfree ends projecting upwardly, are pawls'19 and 20 adapted to engageratchet wheel 17 alternately as the casing 14 is shifted from one sideto the 7 other. Seated in recesses 21 and 22 are coiled springs 23 and24 which are adapted to bear against the pawls and normally force thesame into. engagement with the teeth on ratchet wheel17, pins, 25 and 26serving to limit'the inward movement of the pawls V when the casingis'shifted from one side to the other when it is desired to reverse themovement of the tool.

The upper edge of casing 14 is provided with two transversely disposednotches 27 and 28 that are adapted to be engaged by a latching mechanismwhich is mounted on one side of jaw 9, as clearly shown in Fig. 1

of the drawing. This latching mechanism 7 preferably consists of anoperating rod 29 provided on the lower end thereof with a thumb-piece30. Rod 29 is mounted in bearings 31 and 32 secured to the jaw 9.

The upper end of rod 29 is flattened and bent over into a substantiallyU-shaped' form, the extreme end of which terminates in a latch bar 33adapted to engage one or the other of the notches 27 or 28 as the casingll is shifted from one direction to the other to hold it in a stationaryposition. Mounted on operating shaft 29 and between bearings 31 and is acompression spring B-L which normally tends to hold the latch bea ringsin engagement with the notches and to prevent its disengagementtherefrom.

Jaw member 8 extends in a substantially vertical direction, the outerend thereof being provided with an aperture 35 and having a boss 36 onthe inner face thereof, said boss encircling said aperture. Thisaperture is for the purpose of accommodating the end of the screw orbolt which projects beyond the face of the hanger clamp when the toolisapplied thereto, as will be clearly noted from Fig. 1 of the drawing.

In the form illustrated we have shown the tool as consisting of a screwdriver, the outer end 37 being of usual form and the inner end 38 beingreduced and of rectangular configuration so as to chamber in theaperture formed in the ratchet wheel 17.

In the operation of our improved device, the jaws are opened by handles10 and 11 and the aperture 35 in jaw 8 permitting the passagetherethrough of the end of the screw or bolt, the driver 37 engaging theslot therein. The handles are then grasped tightly together and thedevice is rotated from side to side until the screw is loosened, whenthe operator may-grasp the knurled shoulder of the ratchet wheel 17 tocomplete the operation.

It will be seen from the. above that we have provided a tool in whichbolts or screws or other securing means may be readily secured orwithdrawn from hangers and like movable structures in an expeditiousmanner, avoiding the necessity of using one arm of the operator to bracethe hanger as in a manual operation.

\Vhat we claim is:

1. A tool, comprising a clamping jaw, a

tool holder pivotally mounted on said jaw,

a ratchet wheel secured to said tool holder, a member pivotally mountedon said jaw, a pair of dogs pivotally mounted on said member forengagement with said ratchet wheel,

stops on said member to .limit movement of said dogs, and a latchingmechanism mount- 7 other, a tool mounted in' said jaw and operativelymounted within said ratchet wheel, and a latching mechanism mounted onsaid jaw and engaging said casing to maintain either dog in engagementwith the ratchet wheel.

3. A tool, comprising a clamping jaw, a tool holder pivotally mounted onsaid jaw, a ratchet wheel secured to said tool holder, a memberpivotally mounted on said jaw, a pair of dogs pivotally mounted on saidmember for engagement with said ratchet wheel, stops on said member tolimit movement of said dogs, a latching mechanism mounted on said jawengaging the said member to maintain either dog in engagement with said'ratchet wheel, and a second jaw pivotally mounted on said firstmentioned jaw for cooperation therewith.

4. A tool, comprising a pair of pivoted clamping jaws and operatingmeans therefor, a pivoted casing mounted on one of said jaws, a ratchetwheel loosely mounted in said casing, a, pair of spring pressed dogs forengaging the said ratchet wheel, means for limiting the movement of saiddogs toward each other, a tool mounted in said jaw and operativelymounted within said ratchet wheel, and a latching mechanism mounted onsaid jaw and engaging said casing to maintain the same stationary ineither of its positions. v p

In witness that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto subscribed ournames this 26th day of May, 1915.

' PETER AMES CRESSEY.

WM. JONES.

